Mäeküla piimamees
Mäeküla piimamees ( The milkman of Mäeküla ) the title of a novel by the Estonian writer Eduard Vilde is ( 1865-1933 ). He appeared in 1916 in the Estonian original.
Appearance
Eduard Vilde wrote the novel in exile in Copenhagen. With the revolution of 1905, the socialist Vilde Estonia had to leave because he was one of the opponents of the Tsar. It was not until 1917 he was able to return to his homeland.
In January 1916, the Manuspript of Mäeküla piimamees arrived in Estonia and was already four months later, laid in April 1916, in Tallinn. The novel has 247 pages in the first edition. The cover was designed by the Estonian artist Oskar Kallis.
Like all novels Vildes found the work a largely positive response in his home and was widely read. Mäeküla piimamees remained Vildes last novel.
Even during the time of the Soviet Union and then the work found a wide readership. The book was and is often treated in school.
More editions of the novel followed in 1922, 1935, 1947, 1948, 1955, 1960, 1970, 1974, 2000, 2006 and 2011.
Action
The rural Estonia, about in the second half of the 19th century. The young Mari is married to the Estonian peasants Tõnu Prillup, the widowed husband of her sister. So it wants the convention. The marriage ripples away; Mari is Tonus children a good stepmother.
The aging Baltic German nobility Ulrich Kremer has his eye on the pretty Mari. Due to the traditional class barriers, it may of course Mari not take to wife. But his beats farmers Tõnu a pact: Mari to be Ulrich's mistress. Tõnu in return the economically rewarding place a dairy farmer.
Tõnu, the seemingly emotionally is little to his second wife and the prospect of economic gain sees, agrees. For a long time he looks enviously on the previous milkman Kuru Jaan. Mari is at first enthusiastic about the immoral suggestion slightly, but Tõnu it pushes with his powers of persuasion, and all sorts of tricks to the business. Finally, Mari gives way - it is Ulrich's mistress. Tõnu receives as promised the job as a milkman. His rival Kuru Jaan is released. Satisfied, he goes to his new work. But Mari takes a liking to the gifts of the noble Lord and enjoying the city life.
By the time Tõnu developed more and more feelings of jealousy. He is ashamed suddenly because of his immoral agreement with Ulrich Kremer. Even tone business is now not so good. He always speaks more to the alcohol. But all attempts to Maris to prevent amorous trips to Ulrich fail. Mari refers to the contract that they must follow ... However, she has also developed serious feelings for the blacksmith Juhan.
The fall drunken Tõnu comes in a harsh winter night killed. And in the end, Mari all the suitors, even Juhan back. She leaves Ulrich to begin a free life with a self-determined husbands in the city.
Protagonists
Eduard Vilde describes in his psychological- realist novel prototype of Estonian life in the late 19th century. The simple peasant Tõnu can apparently do with emotions, love and faithfulness little. For him, above all the material things of life are crucial. Envy of the supposedly richer neighbors, the milkman of the nobles, is a powerful driver of his actions. In the confusion of his feelings after Maris relationship with Ulrich, he picks up the liquor, as the situation overwhelmed him. Only he finds a way out of his grief - and goes bemittleidenswert at the end of it is based.
The elderly bachelor Ulrich Kremer already belongs to a generation of German - Baltic, which is in decline. The old privileges to which he clings, count in the world not much. But he's not the evil feudal lord, as some of the German Balts are shown in Estonian literature. It shows human traits and tries to ensnare the Estonian peasant girl Mari charm and gifts. Actually, it is rather sluggish and weak-willed. Despite his loneliness, he does not manage to find a befitting woman he marries.
Mari is the central figure of the novel. The sealed young woman shows a lot of self-will and can not be in their plans look at the cards. Although she embarks on the immoral deal of her two masters. But in the end she maintains strength, independence and self-determination. She manages to break out of existing constraints and to start their own life. She has been compared to Henrik Ibsen's Nora from the play A Doll's House ( 1879) therefore often.
As in most works Vildes the confrontation with the Estonian history and psyche of Estonians plays a major role. Also Vildes lifelong commitment to the emancipation of women in the work comes to fruition.
He did not last due to his origin The successful descriptions of the Estonian rural life and the residents. His parents were servants in a Baltic German manor house. The location of the novel, the fictional Mäeküla is not difficult to recognize as Vildes home. Nevertheless focuses the thoughts and feelings of the three main characters of the novel. The real strength of the work is the subtle and realistic representation of the psychic life of all fictional characters.
Edits
The novel was made into a film in 1965 by the Soviet - Estonian film company Tallinnfilm.
Translations are located in the following languages:
- Finnish: Mäenkylän maitomies (1920 )
- Hungarian: A Hegyfalvi tejesember (1933 )
- Latvian: Kalnaciema piena Vedējs (1963 )
- Lithuanian: Meikiulos pienininkas (1965 )
- Russian: Молочник из Мяэкюлы (1965 )
- Hungarian: Aki eladta a feleségét (1967 )
- English: Milkman of the Manor (1976 )
- Esperanto: Laktisto de Mäeküla (1983 )
- Portuguese: O Leiteiro de Mäeküla (2004)
A translation into German are not currently available.